Wichita State (8-5, 2-1) fell into a quick 4-0 hole to start the first set and never recovered. A 5-1 run in the middle stages of the opener cut the SMU lead to two at 17-15, but the Mustangs responded with a 5-1 run of their own to restore a comfortable 22-16 cushion. Kills from Perdue and Shime down the stretch gave the Mustangs the opening set victory.
The Shockers got off to a much better start in the second frame, grabbing a 6-5 lead on a block from Barbara Koehler and Natalie Foster. A quick 4-1 SMU burst put the Mustangs in command, however, and Wichita State was unable to get back on level terms. Four WSU service errors in the set did not aid the comeback effort, though the Shockers clawed within 22-19 following a Morgan Stout kill. Two kills from Perdue helped the Mustangs head into intermission with a 2-0 advantage.
The third set was decided by a massive 13-0 SMU run that turned a 6-4 edge into 19-4 despite two Wichita State timeouts. The Shockers attempted to rally on the strength of three straight aces from freshman Reagan Anderson that cut the deficit back to 11 at 20-9, but Perdue fittingly provided the winner a few points later to secure the SMU sweep.
Stout led the Shockers with eight kills and four blocks, while Natalie Foster had seven terminations and Brylee Kelly and Koehler each added six. Izzi Strand paced the Shockers with 21 assists, while Gabi Maas notched 10 digs for team-best honors.
Wichita State will look to salvage a split of the two-match series on Sunday afternoon. First serve against the Mustangs is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
